Something I happen to admire about Neal Adams is that he’s still actively working in the comic book industry after having done so for decades. Sometimes, guys will retire for one reason or another and stick to convention appearances, but Neal’s still churning out new material – and not just cover art. No, he’s actually been writing and illustrating various miniseries in recent years.
In just a matter of weeks, Adams will launch his next six-issue epic, that being Batman vs. Ra’s al Ghul. This is especially exciting because he just so happens to be the co-creator of the Demon’s Head, and even clarified how to pronounce the villain’s name during our recent discussion at Michigan Comic Convention.
After getting that out of the way, I inquired as to whether this new miniseries ties into the material he and Denny O’Neil established back in the 1970s, or if it follows his more recent work. As it turns out, the latter holds true. While explaining why we all should read this, Adams also laid out the chronology of the overarching narrative, saying:
“The way it works is: Batman: Odyssey, Deadman, Batman vs. Ra’s al Ghul. You should read them all. This isn’t just fucking around. This isn’t just playing around. It’s a serious story about serious things that are happening in the world with Batman and Ra’s al Ghul, and putting them at either end of a dispute that is part of what we have in our society.”
Knowing how Neal has always been a socially conscious fella, it comes as no surprise that this tale has depth in that regard. And in case you were wondering, yes, Deadman himself will be showing up in the new book.
Considering that Superman: The Coming of the Supermen was released just a few years back, I did ask Adams if that factored into this grand scheme, but he said it doesn’t. Still, that comic could one day get a sequel, and if it does, he stressed how it’s important we refer to the final panel in issue #6.
For more of what to expect, here’s the official synopsis for the opening chapter to the Dark Knight’s next adventure:
Gotham City is under siege by terrorists, and Batman is determined to find the source. But when Boston Brand tries to intervene, he discovers an even more disturbing and deadly truth: the terrorists are led by an inhuman monster. Ra’s al Ghul has volunteered his own private security force to aid the GCPD, and now they are the only thing standing between nuclear terror and the townspeople! But al Ghul’s true goal is hidden from everyone’s eyes. He will destroy the city and kill Batman-this time for good. Watching in horror is… Bruce Wayne?
Batman vs. Ra’s al Ghul #1 arrives in comic shops on September 4th.